A Chat with Hana Piranha (18.11.23)
With a devilish whirl of insatiable genre-defying music, Hana Piranha catches us in the swoop of sound twirling us about in their rambunctious insanity. We speak with Hana Piranha about their new album Wingspan, what music means to them, what seemed a good idea at the time, and much more!
OSR: What made you decide to become a musician?
Hana: My parents started me on violin and piano when I was three so I don’t really remember ever deciding to become a musician, it just kind of happened (and I will be eternally grateful to them). However, I do remember a point when I was about nine years old when I was like, ok, yes, I want this, and really upped my level of drive from then on.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Hana: For me as a musician, music is the deepest way of communicating emotions.
OSR: You recently released your album Wingspan. What can you tell us about it?
Hana: Wingspan is about realising your potential and being bigger than you seem, and as a whole, it reaches out to the misfits of the world and all the people who for whatever reason are unable to share all the richness that is inside them. It’s a real evolution of the band, coming from a dark path into this place of positivity. This is reflected in the cover art, which is a nod back to our first album Cold Comfort. It depicts me slaying the demons that once overpowered me.
OSR: What were the most exciting and least exciting things about creating Wingspan?
Hana: The most exciting thing for me is always the bit where you write something and you’re like, yeah, this is cool. I worked on the first single ‘The Devil Always Pulls Through’ for a very long time before I managed to write the outro and the moment I put my very first demo together for that was probably the most thrilling moment for me in the whole process.
There’s actually not a single element of the album process that I don’t find exciting. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to do from start to finish and I loved every part. From the initial song concepts to all our rehearsals to hearing the mastered tracks to getting the fans involved with our Kickstarter campaign, right until the final lead-up to promotion. I’m grateful for all of it!
OSR: Do you believe Wingspan is an accurate representation of Hana Piranha at the moment?
Hana: Wingspan is the most up-to-date representation we have. It has been more of a collaborative effort than ever before but the band is still rapidly evolving, as it should, and we are looking forward to our next combined effort.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music, and what do you take from Wingspan?
Hana: I hope that people feel heard and empowered by this new album. I think it’s a bit different from previous albums in the sense that I wrote the last albums when I was in a very dark place out of a real “need”, whereas Wingspan has emerged from a far more stable place and I think this has produced a more sophisticated and creative result.
OSR: You say on your website that you were born during a hurricane. Did that really happen?
Hana: Yes, it is true! I was born during the tropical Cyclone Bola which was one of the costliest storms in the history of New Zealand.
OSR: Random questions: What are the top three characteristics you feel are important in a person?
Hana: #1 Kindness and a generosity of spirit.
#2 Authenticity
#3 Passion and a sense of purpose
OSR: What do you find is the most boring part of your life?
Hana: I find basic things like sleeping and eating boring but necessary to survival!
OSR: What is something you thought would be a great idea but turned out to be horrible?
Hana: How much time have we got?!
The underwater music video we shot for ‘Lorelei’ was unexpectedly gruelling. When my friend Carl Thomson invited me to Cannes to shoot a video I looked at previous shots he had taken and all I could see was how peaceful and beautiful it all looked underwater. The reality was very different.
OSR: What can we expect from Hana Piranha in the future?
Hana: We are already writing for our next album as a band, which is always very exciting.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Hana: Give Wingspan a listen on the digital platforms, it’s people like you reading this interview and supporting independent music that makes all the difference to a band like ours. If you ever wanted to know what Jimi Hendrix would sound like if he played the violin then this is the band for you.
Many thanks to Hana Piranha for speaking with us! For more from Hana Piranha, check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
